Electrical attachment for musical instruments.



No. 784,457. PATENTED MAR. '7, 1905. J. WEBER. ELECTRICAL ATTACHMENT FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 19, 1904.

2 SHEETSSHBBT 1 No. 784,457. PATENTED MAR. 7, 1905. J. WEBER.

ELECTRICAL ATTACHMENT FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 19. 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Wuhan:

Patented March 7, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH WEBER, OF BROOKLYN, NElV YORK.

ELECTRICAL ATTACHMENT FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent l] 0. 784.457, dated March '7, 1905.

Application filed August 19, 1904. Serial No. 221,390.

To (I/Z/Z/ 11/71/0111 it "III/(LII/ (lo/merit:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH VEBER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Attachments for -Musical Instruments; and 1 do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements involved in the combination and construction of musical instruments, and more particularly to electricallyactuated pianos, organs, and thelike; and my invention consists of an electrical apparatus for operating the keys of said instruments, my object being, first, to provide each key of the instrument with either a single or compound electromagnet arranged without the intervention of the usual excessive amount of mechanism commonly employed to operatively connect the magnets with the keys.

A further object is to enable my attachment to be readily applied to any instrument as now commonly constructed without requiring radical alteration or interfering with the opening and closing of the casing.

These objects are attained by means of the details of construction hereinafter particularly set forth, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, of wh'icl Figure l is a side elevation of a key of a pianoforte having connected with it a single electromagnet, (designated O,) which in this instance is placed back of the pivot-point(in dicated K) over the key between the pivotpoint and the pilot, (indicated O.) Fig. 2 shows the piano-key having located above it the compound electromagnet, (indicated O.) Fig. 3 represents a sectional view of one of the magnets. Fig. L represents an armature (indicated A) showing a slotted end. Fig. 5' represents another form of magnet. Fig. 6

shows a top plan view of a series of magnets and keys as applied ready for use. Fig. 7 is a detail of the switching arrangement shown in Flg. 5.

To properly designate the several elements of my invention and their cooperating features, letters will be employed.

Fig. 1 shows the armature B operatively attached to or connected with the key, and when the electrical connection is complete it is drawn toward the magnet, which depresses the outer end of the key, causing the pilot O to strike the action, which latter may be of the usual or any preferred construction.

In Fig. 2 a compound magnet (indicated O) is employed, and it will be seen that the armature A is not fastened to the key, but is connected to the rod E, that passes by or pref erably between the cores of the magnet. Each armature when attracted by the magnet causes the rod to press against the upright F, which latter, as indicated in Fig. 2, is socured to the key in frontof the pivot-point K, and it is obvious that when the rod E is thrust outward against the upright F the outer end of the key will be depressed, thereby causing the pilot O to operate the action. It will be noticed that in those magnets I prefer to use a core with indentures on the face and a corresponding projection a. in the armature A. l find by this means that l attain a greater attractive force. The cores of these magnets are arranged so that each, whether simple or com pound, being placed properly above or below each key of the,instrument will not encroach upon the confines of said key or the space allowed between the key centers. A single row of magnets, pairs, or compound pairs of magnets may therefore be arranged in any suitable position so as not to go beyond the center of adjacent keys. This is found to greatly facilitate the operation of the mechanism, as there is less friction to overcome, less liability to get out of order, and cheaper from the manufacturers standpoint.

The rod E terminates with a screw on which is placed a wooden or other form of cap J, so that the impact against the upright F will prove practically noiseless. This cap is preferably adjustable in order to secure best results. The rod E may be bushed wherever in its action it passes through any part'of the magnet or the parts of the magnet through which the rod passes may be bushed, as preferred.

Fig. L shows an end view of the armature A. In one end of this armature is a slot M, through which the guide N passes in order to keep the armature, which otherwise might revolve around its red, in position. The same result can be produced in other ways, as by having parts of the rod E and one or more of the holes in the magnet-core through which it passes square in cross-section. The indentures may be formed in the cores of the magnets and the projections carried by the armatures, as shown, or vice versa, the contacting parts of the armature and core being properly bushed, as indicated by the letter a in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 shows another form of magnet which may be employed. In this arrangement the working distance which it is desired the lever D shall travel ultimately is one-fourth of an inch. At this distance a single magnet would not have any effect. This compound magnet solves the difiiculty as follows: The armature I) being in the field of the magnet F when attracted would bring the armature D within one-eighth of an inch of its core. Then it would actuate the piano-key, but only onehalf of the required distance. Now, therefore, if I have two magnets provided in any suitable switching arrangement, as shown in Figs. 5 and 7, after the armatures have moved one-eighth of an inch I transfer the current to the second pair of helices by means of the circuit Q, and the armature D would be attracted the other one-eighth of an inch, thus making in all one-fourth of an inch travel, and I could in this way force the armature D to travel the entire distance with the same amount of current. If, however, I should connect both magnets in multiple or series to exert a direct pull upon both armatures at the same time, it would require twice as much current, the reduction of which is the end I desire to attain. By the use of the loose rod or equivalent arrangement the magnets act successively or independently upon said rod, applying their force to the actuation of the key.

To more specilicall y set forth the action of the current upon the lever D we will start at the battery end of the circuit F and first follow the circuit upward from the battery through the single-point switch to the letter L, a terminal of the upper magnet C. From the terminal L the circuit extends through the upper magnets back to the battery. The lower magnet C is energized by the same battery, the letter Q, designating the circuit. Now assume the current has been applied, which would draw upward the armature D, and by the time D would complete its travel the spring-contact H would have left the contact L, thereby deenergizing the upper coil, at which time the lower coil would become energized through the same spring-contact H, through the same wire F, single-pointswitch and batteries, through to wire Q, thence through the lower coils, through Q to stationary contact P, which would cause a pull to be exerted upon the lower armature. The connecting-rod of the armature D and D passes through a clearance-hole in the armatures and will draw both armatures and complete the work to be expended upon the lever l). The connecting-rod being free through both armatures, its function is limited by a nut on its inner end. As previously stated, the switch might be eliminated and the upper and lower coils connected either in series or multiple; but in this case, while a circuit would be maintained, there would be a slight waste of current, which in some instance might be preferable to the switching arrangement.

In Figs. 5 and 6 the magnets are shown di rectly above each key, though it is obvious that these magnets may be placed in almost any part of the instrument by passing a rod from the armature to the key or other suitable part of the action.

While it is evident that numerous minor changes, as mechanical and electrical equivalents, may be made, I do not wish to conline myself strictly to the exact showing herein presented, inasmuch as substitutes and er 1uivalents are comprehended by me.

Having thus fully described my invention. what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a musical instrument provided with keys, of a series of electromagnets, one for each key, and an upright on each of said keys, the said electromagnets when electrically connected operating on the uprights to actuate the keys, substantially as set forth.

2. In a musical instrument provided with keys, the combination with each of said keys, of an electromagnet, and an upright secured to each of said keys, the said electromagnets being arranged in a single row and when electrically connected, operating on the uprights to depress the keys, substantially as specified and for the purpose set forth.

3. In pianos, or the like, the keys, a plurality of electromagnets for each key, each magnet being complete in itself, in combination with an armature for each magnet, a rod disposed between the cores of the magnets and, parallel therewith and connecting the armatures thereof, and suitable means to apply combined force of the armatures to the key of the instrument substantially as specilied and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereofl have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH \VEBER. Witnesses:

IVILMo'r L. Momcuousu, Aenns G. LARKIN. 

